There’s a lot of attention about the big comic book movies coming out this summer. We’ve got The Avengers, The Amazing Spiderman, and The Dark Knight Rises, all hoping to be the biggest summer blockbuster the world has ever seen. I admit, I’m very excited and plan to see all of them, and I suspect many of you are as well. However, if you think that big-budget blockbusters are the only place to get your superhero movie fix, you’re wrong.

Since 2007 DC has released a dozen fantastic animated movies that blow many live action productions out of the water. Part of the reason these are so good is that they are based on stories that would never be filmed, either due to budgetary concerns or fear that they wouldn’t have a wide enough box-office appeal. Even if they were green-lighted, odds are that they would have so much studio interference (see Green Lantern) that the result would be a watered-down version of what could have been great.

The animated movies have given DC more freedom to produce great stories, and they are only getting better. This year will see the release of an adaption of Justice League:Doom and a two part adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. I’m awaiting those movies just as much as the summer blockbusters, and I’m far less worried that those movies will disappoint.

For the uninitiated, I’d live to present the top six DC Animated movies and why you need to see them. (After that you should check out the other six because, really, they’re all good.)